Skene (theatre)

In the Theatre of Ancient Greece and classical drama, the skene was the structure at the back of a theatre stage.The word skene means "tent" or "hut," and it is thought that the original structure for these purposes was a tent or light building of wood, and was a temporary structure.[1] It was initially a very light structure or just cloth hanging from a rope, but over the course of time the skene underwent fundamental changes. First it became a permanent building, whose roof could sometimes be used to make speeches and as time passed it was raised up from the level of the orchestra, creating a proskenion, or "space in front of the skene". The facade of the proskenion was behind the orchestra, and provided a space for supporting stage scenery. During the Roman Period the skene had become a large and complex, elaborately decorated, stone building on several levels. Actors emerged from the skene and could use its steps and balconies to speak from. It was also where costumes were stored and to which the periaktoi (painted panels serving as the background) were connected.[2]

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Ancient Greek theatre began in the 6th century B.C. and traces its origins to religious rituals such as the Festival of Dionysus and choral odes to the gods known as dithyrambs. Early Greek theaters were simple open air structures built on the slope of a hill. The Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus in Athens is thought to have been the first purpose-built theatre. Around the middle of the 5th century B.C. the skene began to appear in Greek Theatre. Placing a skene behind the orchestra where the performers acted, played, and danced broke what is thought to have been the original theatre in the round nature of Greek theatre. The skene also served as another "hidden stage." At times some of the action went on inside, in which case it was up to the audience to decide what was happening based on the noises coming from the inside. It was a convention of the dramas of the classic period that characters never died on stage, instead usually retreating into the skene to do so.

"At some point at Athens in the classical period a small stoa colonnade was constructed behind the scene-building with its back to the theater and would have provided a permanent backdrop for the action."[3]

The Hellenistic period started around the time of Alexander the Great's death in 323 B.C. and lasted until the Roman Victory at the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. As Ancient Greece began to change from a culture consisting of ethnic and city-state Greeks to one governed by large monarchies, theatre architecture to include the stage buildings began to experience significant changes. In the 4th century B.C. the Skene became a permanent stone structure and the stage was raised off the ground. In surviving examples this stage seems to have been raised by 2.43 m to 3.96 m above the orchestra, and to have been from 1.92 m to 3.96 m deep, terminated by the skene.[4] As the Greek chorus declined in importance compared to a smaller group of main actors, the chorus remained in the orchestra to perform, while the main actors generally performed from the stage on top of the proskenion. This important change occurred in the Hellenistic period, between the 3rd and 1st century BC. The skene itself became increasingly elaborate, and was also available as a place for actors to declaim from, so that the performers between them had three levels available. "The roof of the skene was called the theologian ("god-speaking"), from which one might assume that its primary use was for the advent of deities, either at the start or close of the drama."[3] Most theaters still standing today date from the Hellenistic period.

In Roman theatres, scaenae frons ("facade of the skene") is the term for the elaborately decorated stone screens, rising two or three stories, that the skene had now become. By the 1st century BC, the skene was as elaborate as its Roman development which dispensed with the orchestra altogether, leaving a relatively low proscaenium facade, often decorated, and a wide stage or pulpitum behind, ending in an elaborate scaenae frons with three or more doors, and sometimes three stories. The evolution of the actor, who assumed an individual part and answered to the chorus (the word for actor, hypokrites, means answerer), introduced into drama a new form, the alternation of acted scenes, or episodes. The skene no longer supported painted sets in the Greek manner but relied for effect on elaborate permanent architectural decoration and consisted of a series of complex stone buildings. To each side there was a paraskenion. The episkenion was the upper floor of the skene, which might be deepened to give a third stage level, seen through thyromata or openings. The interior of the logeion ("building") behind the skene facade remained normally outside the view of the audience, and fulfilled the original function as a changing room and place for props.

1.
Jerash
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Jerash, the Gerasa of Antiquity, is the capital and largest city of Jerash Governorate, which is situated in the north of Jordan,48 kilometres north of the capital Amman towards Syria. Jerash Governorates geographical features vary from cold mountains to fertile valleys from 250 to 300 metres above sea level, the 749 Galilee earthquake destroyed large parts of Jerash, while subsequent earthquakes along with wars and turmoil contributed to additional destruction. Then after, the Crusaders abandoned Jerash for Sakib the eastern border of the Kingdom of Jerusalem with Seljuk Empire and they initiated a re-treatment of the eastern border of settlement. This, however, was not yet permanent, since Jerash re-appeared on Ottoman tax registers of the 16th century, most of the ruins of Jerash remained buried in the soil for hundreds of years until they were discovered by German Orientalist Ulrich Jasper Seetzen in 1806. Subsequently, a community of people from Syria came to the area by the time of the Emirate of Transjordan, evidence of settlements dating to the Bronze Age have been found in the region. Jerash is the site of the ruins of the Greco-Roman city of Gerasa and this took place during the spring of 331 BC, when Alexander left Egypt, crossed Syria and then went to Mesopotamia. After the Roman conquest in 63 BC, Jerash and the land surrounding it were annexed to the Roman province of Syria, in AD90, Jerash was absorbed into the Roman province of Arabia, which included the city of Philadelphia. The Romans ensured security and peace in this area, which enabled its people to devote their efforts and time to economic development, Jerash is considered one of the most important and best preserved Roman cities in the Near East. Jerash was the birthplace of the mathematician Nicomachus of Gerasa, in the second half of the 1st century AD, the city of Jerash achieved great prosperity. In AD106, the Emperor Trajan constructed roads throughout the province, the Emperor Hadrian visited Jerash in AD 129–130. The triumphal arch was built to celebrate his visit, a remarkable Latin inscription records a religious dedication set up by members of the imperial mounted bodyguard wintering there. The city finally reached a size of about 800,000 square meters within its walls, the Persian invasion in AD614 caused the rapid decline of Jerash. Despite its decline, the city continued to flourish during the Umayyad period, in AD749, a major earthquake destroyed much of Jerash and its surroundings. During the period of the Crusades, some of the monuments were converted to fortresses, small settlements continued in Jerash during the Ayyubid, Mamluk Sultanate, and Ottoman periods. Most of these monuments were built by donations of the wealthy citizens. The south theatre has a focus in the centre of the pit in front of the stage, marked by a distinct stone, and from which normal speaking can be heard easily throughout the auditorium. From AD350, a large Christian community lived in Jerash, a cathedral was built in the 4th century. An ancient synagogue with detailed mosaics, including the story of Noah, was found beneath a church, the use of water power to saw wood or stone is well known in the Greek and Roman world, the invention in Greece occurring in the 3rd century BC

2.
Jordan
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Jordan, officially The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is an Arab kingdom in Western Asia, on the East Bank of the Jordan River. Jordan is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the east and south, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north, Israel, Palestine and the Dead Sea to the west, Jordan is strategically located at the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe. The capital, Amman, is Jordans most populous city as well as the countrys economic, what is now Jordan has been inhabited by humans since the Paleolithic period. Three stable kingdoms emerged there at the end of the Bronze Age, Ammon, Moab, later rulers include the Nabataean Kingdom, the Roman Empire, and the Ottoman Empire. After the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottomans in 1916 during World War I, the Emirate of Transjordan was established in 1921 by the then Emir Abdullah I and became a British protectorate. In 1946, Jordan became an independent state known as The Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan. Jordan captured the West Bank, which it later lost in 1967, during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Jordan is a founding member of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and is one of two Arab states to have signed a peace treaty with Israel. The country is a monarchy, but the king holds wide executive and legislative powers. Jordan is a relatively-small, semi-arid, almost-landlocked country with a population numbering at 9.5 million, Sunni Islam, practiced by around 92% of the population, is the dominant religion in Jordan. It coexists with an indigenous Christian minority, Jordan is considered to be among the safest of Arab countries in the Middle East, and has avoided long-term terrorism and instability. The kingdom is also a refuge to thousands of Iraqi Christians fleeing the Islamic State, while Jordan continues to accept refugees, the recent large influx from Syria placed substantial strain on national resources and infrastructure. Jordan is classified as a country of high human development with a middle income economy. The Jordanian economy, one of the smallest economies in the region, is attractive to foreign investors based upon a skilled workforce, the country is a major tourist destination, and also attracts medical tourism due to its well developed health sector. Nonetheless, a lack of resources, large flow of refugees. Jordan is named after the Jordan River, where Jesus is said to have been baptized, the origin of the rivers name is debated, but the most common explanation is that it derives from the word yarad, found in Hebrew, Aramaic, and other Semitic languages. Others regard the name as having an Indo-Aryan origin, combining the words yor and don, another theory is that it is from the Arabic root word wrd, as in people coming to a major source of water. The name Jordan appears in an ancient Egyptian papyrus called Papyrus Anastasi I, the lands of modern-day Jordan were historically called Transjordan, meaning beyond the Jordan River. The name was Arabized into Al-Urdunn during the Muslim conquest of the Levant, during crusader rule, it was called Oultrejordain

3.
Scaenae frons
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The scaenae frons is the elaborately decorated permanent architectural background of a Roman theatre stage. Normally there are three entrances to the stage including a central entrance, known as the porta regia or royal door. The form may have intended to resemble the facades of imperial palaces. The scaenae frons is often two and sometimes three stories in height and was central to the visual impact for this was what was seen by a Roman audience at all times. Tiers or balconies were supported by an exuberent display of columns, normally in the Corinthian order and this form was influenced by Greek theatre, which had an equivalent but simpler skene building. This led to the stage or space before the skene being called the proscenium, in the Hellenistic period the skene became more elaborate, perhaps with columns, but also used to support painted secenery. The Roman scaenae frons was also used both as the backdrop to the stage and behind as the dressing room. It no longer supported painted sets in the Greek manner but relied for effect on elaborate permanent architectural decoration and this achieved a baroque effect also seen in large nymphaea and library facades, often with an undulating facade, pushing forward and then retreating. All the significant examples date from the Imperial period, the Theatre of Pompey in Rome, completed in 55 BC, was the first stone theatre in Rome, and probably launched the style. An inscription in the entablature above the lowest columns often recorded the emperor and others who had helped to fund the construction. A feature often found in the Western Empire, but less so in the Greek-speaking areas, was the row of curved recesses in the face of the front of the stage, as at Sabratha and this was intended to be temporary in 1585, but remains in excellent condition

4.
Theatre of ancient Greece
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The ancient Greek drama, is a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece from c.700 BC. Tragedy, comedy, and the play were the three dramatic genres to emerge there. Athens exported the festival to its numerous colonies and allies in order to promote a cultural identity. The word τραγῳδία, from which the tragedy is derived, is a compound of two Greek words, τράγος or goat and ᾠδή meaning song, from ἀείδειν, to sing. This etymology indicates a link with the practices of the ancient Dionysian cults and it is impossible, however, to know with certainty how these fertility rituals became the basis for tragedy and comedy. The classical Greeks valued the power of word, and it was their main method of communication. Bahn and Bahn write, To Greeks the spoken word was a living thing, socrates himself believed that once something was written down, it lost its ability for change and growth. For these reasons, among others, oral storytelling flourished in Greece. Greek tragedy as we know it was created in Athens around the time of 532 BC, being a winner of the first theatrical contest held in Athens, he was the exarchon, or leader, of the dithyrambs performed in and around Attica, especially at the rural Dionysia. By Thespis time, the dithyramb had evolved far away from its cult roots, under the influence of heroic epic, Doric choral lyric and the innovations of the poet Arion, it had become a narrative, ballad-like genre. Thus, Thespiss true contribution to drama is unclear at best, the dramatic performances were important to the Athenians – this is made clear by the creation of a tragedy competition and festival in the City Dionysia. This was organized possibly to foster loyalty among the tribes of Attica, the festival was created roughly around 508 BC. While no drama texts exist from the sixth century BC, we do know the names of three competitors besides Thespis, Choerilus, Pratinas, and Phrynichus, each is credited with different innovations in the field. He won his first competition between 511 BC and 508 BC and he produced tragedies on themes and subjects later exploited in the golden age such as the Danaids, Phoenician Women and Alcestis. He was the first poet we know of to use a historical subject – his Fall of Miletus, produced in 493-2 and he is also thought to be the first to use female characters. This century is regarded as the Golden Age of Greek drama. The centre-piece of the annual Dionysia, which took place once in winter, each submitted three tragedies, plus a satyr play. Beginning in a first competition in 486 BC each playwright submitted a comedy, aristotle claimed that Aeschylus added the second actor, and that Sophocles introduced the third

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Building
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A building or edifice is a structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. To better understand the term building compare the list of nonbuilding structures, Buildings serve several needs of society – primarily as shelter from weather, security, living space, privacy, to store belongings, and to comfortably live and work. A building as a shelter represents a division of the human habitat. Ever since the first cave paintings, buildings have become objects or canvasses of much artistic expression. In recent years, interest in planning and building practices has also become an intentional part of the design process of many new buildings. The word building is both a noun and a verb also an adverb, the structure itself and the act of making it. As a noun, a building is a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place, there was a building on the corner. In the broadest interpretation a fence or wall is a building, however, the word structure is used more broadly than building including natural and man-made formations and does not necessarily have walls. Structure is more likely to be used for a fence, as a verb, building is the act of construction. Structural height in technical usage is the height to the highest architectural detail on building from street-level, depending on how they are classified, spires and masts may or may not be included in this height. Spires and masts used as antennas are not generally included, the definition of a low-rise vs. a high-rise building is a matter of debate, but generally three storeys or less is considered low-rise. A report by Shinichi Fujimura of a shelter built 500000 years ago is doubtful since Fujimura was later found to have faked many of his findings. Supposed remains of huts found at the Terra Amata site in Nice purportedly dating from 200000 to 400000 years ago have also called into question. There is clear evidence of homebuilding from around 18000 BC, Buildings became common during the Neolithic. Single-family residential buildings are most often called houses or homes, residential buildings containing more than one dwelling unit are called a duplex, apartment building to differentiate them from individual houses. A condominium is an apartment that the occupant owns rather than rents, houses which were built as a single dwelling may later be divided into apartments or bedsitters, they may also be converted to another use e. g. an office or a shop. Building types may range from huts to multimillion-dollar high-rise apartment blocks able to house thousands of people, increasing settlement density in buildings is usually a response to high ground prices resulting from many people wanting to live close to work or similar attractors. Other common building materials are brick, concrete or combinations of either of these with stone, also if the residents are in need of special care such as a nursing home, orphanage or prison, or in group housing like barracks or dormitories

6.
Hellenistic period
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It is often considered a period of transition, sometimes even of decadence or degeneration, compared to the enlightenment of the Greek Classical era. The Hellenistic period saw the rise of New Comedy, Alexandrian poetry, the Septuagint, Greek science was advanced by the works of the mathematician Euclid and the polymath Archimedes. The religious sphere expanded to include new gods such as the Greco-Egyptian Serapis, eastern deities such as Attis and Cybele, the Hellenistic period was characterized by a new wave of Greek colonization which established Greek cities and kingdoms in Asia and Africa. This resulted in the export of Greek culture and language to new realms. Equally, however, these new kingdoms were influenced by the cultures, adopting local practices where beneficial, necessary. Hellenistic culture thus represents a fusion of the Ancient Greek world with that of the Near East, Middle East and this mixture gave rise to a common Attic-based Greek dialect, known as Koine Greek, which became the lingua franca through the Hellenistic world. Scholars and historians are divided as to what event signals the end of the Hellenistic era, Hellenistic is distinguished from Hellenic in that the first encompasses the entire sphere of direct ancient Greek influence, while the latter refers to Greece itself. The word originated from the German term hellenistisch, from Ancient Greek Ἑλληνιστής, from Ἑλλάς, Hellenistic is a modern word and a 19th-century concept, the idea of a Hellenistic period did not exist in Ancient Greece. Although words related in form or meaning, e. g, the major issue with the term Hellenistic lies in its convenience, as the spread of Greek culture was not the generalized phenomenon that the term implies. Some areas of the world were more affected by Greek influences than others. The Greek population and the population did not always mix, the Greeks moved and brought their own culture. While a few fragments exist, there is no surviving historical work which dates to the hundred years following Alexanders death. The works of the major Hellenistic historians Hieronymus of Cardia, Duris of Samos, the earliest and most credible surviving source for the Hellenistic period is Polybius of Megalopolis, a statesman of the Achaean League until 168 BC when he was forced to go to Rome as a hostage. His Histories eventually grew to a length of forty books, covering the years 220 to 167 BC, another important source, Plutarchs Parallel Lives though more preoccupied with issues of personal character and morality, outlines the history of important Hellenistic figures. Appian of Alexandria wrote a history of the Roman empire that includes information of some Hellenistic kingdoms, other sources include Justins epitome of Pompeius Trogus Historiae Philipicae and a summary of Arrians Events after Alexander, by Photios I of Constantinople. Lesser supplementary sources include Curtius Rufus, Pausanias, Pliny, in the field of philosophy, Diogenes Laertius Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers is the main source. Ancient Greece had traditionally been a collection of fiercely independent city-states. After the Peloponnesian War, Greece had fallen under a Spartan hegemony, in which Sparta was pre-eminent but not all-powerful

7.
Actor
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An actor is a person who portrays a character in a performance. Simplistically speaking, the person denominated actor or actress is someone beautiful who plays important characters, the actor performs in the flesh in the traditional medium of the theatre, or in modern mediums such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is ὑποκριτής, literally one who answers, the actors interpretation of their role pertains to the role played, whether based on a real person or fictional character. Interpretation occurs even when the actor is playing themselves, as in forms of experimental performance art, or, more commonly, to act, is to create. Formerly, in societies, only men could become actors. When used for the stage, women played the roles of prepubescent boys. The etymology is a derivation from actor with ess added. However, when referring to more than one performer, of both sexes, actor is preferred as a term for male performers. Actor is also used before the name of a performer as a gender-specific term. Within the profession, the re-adoption of the term dates to the 1950–1960s. As Whoopi Goldberg put it in an interview with the paper, Im an actor – I can play anything. The U. K. performers union Equity has no policy on the use of actor or actress, an Equity spokesperson said that the union does not believe that there is a consensus on the matter and stated that the. subject divides the profession. In 2009, the Los Angeles Times stated that Actress remains the term used in major acting awards given to female recipients. However, player remains in use in the theatre, often incorporated into the name of a group or company, such as the American Players. Also, actors in improvisational theatre may be referred to as players, prior to Thespis act, Grecian stories were only expressed in song, dance, and in third person narrative. In honor of Thespis, actors are commonly called Thespians, the exclusively male actors in the theatre of ancient Greece performed in three types of drama, tragedy, comedy, and the satyr play. Western theatre developed and expanded considerably under the Romans, as the Western Roman Empire fell into decay through the 4th and 5th centuries, the seat of Roman power shifted to Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire. Records show that mime, pantomime, scenes or recitations from tragedies and comedies, dances, from the 5th century, Western Europe was plunged into a period of general disorder

8.
Roman theatre (structure)
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Roman theatres derive from and are part of the overall evolution of earlier Greek theatres. Indeed, much of the influence on the Romans came from the Greeks. However, Roman theatres have specific differences, such as generally being built upon their own instead of earthen works or a hillside. Roman theatres were built in all areas of the empire from Spain to the Middle East, because of the Romans ability to influence local architecture, we see numerous theatres around the world with uniquely Roman attributes. There exist similarities between the theatres and amphitheatres of ancient Rome/Italy and they were constructed out of the same material, Roman concrete, and provided a place for the public to go and see numerous events throughout the Empire. However, they are two different structures, with specific layouts that lend to the different events they held. Amphitheatres did not need superior acoustics, unlike those provided by the structure of a Roman theatre, while amphitheatres would feature races and gladiatorial events, theatres hosted events such as plays, pantomimes, choral events, and orations. Their design, with its form, enhances the natural acoustics. These buildings were semi-circular and possessed certain inherent architectural structures, with minor differences depending on the region in which they were constructed, the scaenae frons was a high back wall of the stage floor, supported by columns. The proscaenium was a wall that supported the front edge of the stage with ornately decorated niches off to the sides, the Hellenistic influence is seen through the use of the proscaenium. The Roman theatre also had a podium, which supported the columns of the scaenae frons. The theatre itself was divided into the stage and the seating section, vomitoria or entrances and exits were made available to the audience. The auditorium, the area in which people gathered, was constructed on a small hill or slope in which stacked seating could be easily made in the tradition of the Greek Theatres. The center of the auditorium was hollowed out of a hill or slope, while the outer radian seats required structural support and this was of course not always the case as Romans tended to build their theatres regardless of the availability of hillsides. All theatres built within the city of Rome were completely man-made without the use of earthworks, the auditorium was not roofed, rather, awnings could be pulled overhead to provide shelter from rain or sunlight. Some Roman theatres, constructed of wood, were torn down after the festival for which they were erected concluded. This practice was due to a moratorium on permanent theatre structures that lasted until 55 BC when the Theatre of Pompey was built with the addition of a temple to avoid the law, some Roman theatres show signs of never having been completed in the first place. Inside Rome, few theatres have survived the centuries following their construction, Theatre of ancient Greece Theatre of ancient Rome Amphitheatre Roman architecture

9.
Theatre in the round
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Theatre-in-the-round or arena theatre is any theatre space in which the audience surrounds the stage area. The Glenn Hughes Penthouse Theatre in Seattle, Washington was the first theatre-in-the-round venue built in the United States and it first opened on May 16,1940 with a production of Spring Dance, a comedy by playwright Philip Barry. The 160-seat theatre is located on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, in 1947, Margo Jones established Americas first professional theatre-in-the-round company when she opened her Theater 47 in Dallas. Such theatres had previously existed in colleges, but not in professional spaces for almost two millennia and it is also a popular setup used in contemporary pop concerts in an arena or stadium setting. The stage is always in the centre with the audience arranged on all sides, actors may enter and exit through the audience from different directions or from below the stage. The stage is usually on a level with or below the audience in a pit or arena formation. This configuration lends itself to high-energy productions and anything that requires audience participation and it is favoured by producers of classical theatre. It has continued as an alternative to the more common proscenium format. In effect, theatre-in-the-round removes the wall and brings the actor into the same space as the audience. This is often problematic for proscenium or end stage trained actors who are taught that they must never turn their backs to the audience, however, it allows for strong and direct engagement with the audience. It is also employed when theatrical performances are presented in non-traditional spaces such as restaurants, public areas such as fairs or festivals, set design is often minimal in order not to obscure the audiences view of the performance. Theatre-in-the-round was common in ancient theatre, particularly that of Greece, earl Pardoes productions at Brigham Young University in 1922. As Indicated by Jones, the centrally staged productions of the Fair-oaks Play box were followed approximately eight years later by the work of Glenn Hughes in his Seattle Penthouse. Stephen Joseph was the first to populise the form in the United Kingdom from the US in the 1950s and set up theatres-in-the-round in Newcastle-under-Lyme, the current theatre, opened in 1996, is known as the Stephen Joseph Theatre. Joseph was reputed to have once rhetorically asked, Why must authorities stand with their back to a wall and his answer was, So nobody can knife them from behind. In 1972, RG Gregory set up the Word and Action theatre company in Dorset in England to work exclusively in theatre-in-the-round, Gregory sought to create a grammar that would enable actors to maximise the forms potential for connecting with the audience both as individuals and as a collective. All Word and Action productions were performed in normal lighting conditions, the innovations of Margo Jones were an obvious influence on Albert McCleery when he created his Cameo Theatre for television in 1950. Continuing until 1955, McCleery offered dramas seen against pure black backgrounds instead of walls of a set and this enabled cameras in the darkness to pick up shots from any position

10.
Periaktos
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Periaktos is a device used for displaying and rapidly changing theatre scenes. It consists of a revolving solid equilateral triangular prism made of wood, on each of its three faces, a different scene is painted, so that, by quickly revolving the periaktos, another face can appear to the audience. Other solid polygons can be used, such as cubes, but triangular prisms offer the best combination of simplicity, speed and number of scenes per device. A series of periaktoi positioned one after the other along the depth can produce the illusion of a longer scene. These periaktoi must therefore be rotated simultaneously to a new position and this is made by coupling them by using sprocket gears at their bases and a flat chain or conveyor belt mechanical transmission system. Scenic painting Scenography Set construction skênê Stagecraft Scenic design Geauga Lyric Theatre Guilds The Sound of Music, scene by scene breakdown of design, in which the use of periaktoi is illustrated very well. In, The Development of Scenic Spectacle and this excellent article shows periaktoi inventions by Sabbatini, Furttenbach and Danti, with QuickTime animations and descriptions. The Praxinoscope Building Periaktoi, Edward R. Murrow HS Page showing the process of building Periaktoi for a school production

The ancient Greek drama was a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece from c. 700 BC. The city-state of …

Bronze statue of a Greek actor. The half-mask over the eyes and nose identifies the figure as an actor. He wears a man's conical cap but female garments, following the Greek custom of men playing the roles of women. 150-100 BCE.